Keep Calm and Guide the UniverseMy nephew “Burt” was a reliable employee for two years with the same landscaping company. Fairly soon into his job, Burt noticed the boss seemed to single him out for criticism. The boss’s criticism turned into swearing, public ridicule, and name-calling. Burt tried to ignore these attacks, but eventually he lost his temper and yelled back, calling his African American supervisor the derogatory “N” word. Burt was immediately fired. How is this fair? Why is the boss able to be offensive without consequences? Why was my nephew fired for one angry outburst? News flash folks: Life is not fair. Bill Watterson, author, and illustrator of the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, describes a father teaching his son this hard lesson: “The world isn’t fair, Calvin.” “ I know Dad, but why isn’t it ever unfair in my favor?”

People who work with rude, sarcastic and downright abrasive leaders may wonder the same thing. Losing your temper and retaliating against the boss will probably get you reassigned or terminated. Though it is not fair, it is life. How can you maintain professional composure when provoked?

Keep Calm and Carry On

When we become reactive to another’s actions or words, we are operating out of our primal “fight, flight or freeze” response. Daniel Goleman, the author of Emotional Intelligence, explains that the surge of adrenaline, rapid heart rate, increased blood flow to arms and legs—called Amygdala Hijack— diverts energy away from logical thinking. “…We tend to fall back on over-learned responses, which are responses learned early in life—which can lead us to do or say things that we regret later. It is important to understand that the impulses that come to us when we’re under stress—particularly if we get hijacked by it—are likely to lead us astray.” Goleman suggests that regular mindfulness practices help create space between our impulses and taking action, allowing us to make better choices in our responses.

Everyday mindfulness

Jon Kabat-Zinn founder of the Center for Mindfulness at University of Massachusetts Medical School says, “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”

Many people imagine mindfulness meditation as an Asian guru sitting for hours, eyes closed, quietly chanting or breathing. This image seems idealistic and impractical in our modern world. However, many everyday tasks become mindfulness practices if we take a moment to “pay attention in a particular way, on purpose.” The following ideas from Zen Habits can fit easily into our routines

Do one thing at a time—do not multitask. For example, when exercising, do not listen to music but pay attention to your breath and how your body feels. If you are outside, notice the sights and sounds around you.

Take your time doing a task and make your actions deliberate. When brushing your teeth, for instance, notice how your hand holds and operates the toothbrush. Pay attention to the action of brushing each tooth.

Spend five minutes each day doing nothing. Give yourself permission to sit in silence or take a short walk without distractions.

Mindfulness practices are very effective when they become a habit, but what to do when caught off guard in the middle of an “Amygdala Hijack”?

Immediate Strategies

Elizabeth Lowman writing for The Muse gives some helpful hints in “How to Keep Your Cool at Work” Here are just a few of her suggestions:

Breathe – take long slow breaths to clear your mind before you react without thinking.

Write down your thoughts – vent your frustrations on paper. Be very careful that no one can read them. Avoid using the computer or an email program. Accidentally hitting the ‘send’ button can cause more harm.

Reach out to friends and loved ones by making a quick call or send a text message to change your perspective on the current situation.

Take a break. Leave your phone and email at the office and take a walk or get lunch creating some needed distance.

We continue our Dispute Resolution –Cyber Style series with David Puckett, Founder and CEO of ResolvNow. It is quite normal for conflict to occur between businesses, consumers and the ordinary person. Most of us don’t have the time, energy or desire to use the court system and enter a lawsuit. So how do we give the consumer and business easier access to resolving their dispute with technology-enhanced dispute resolution? How do we unite conflict resolution practices like negotiation and mediation with various forms of technology? Consumers are often unclear and confused about how dispute resolution processes can assist much less how advancing technology comes into play. In this episode “Where Does the Conflict Go? Consumers Using Technology Enhanced Dispute Resolution,” David will address 5 barriers which contribute to this confusion, and the ways to create consumer awareness and an environment that is safe for participation.

The topic of emotional intelligence in the workplace is a evolving area of professional interest for leaders and employees alike. How do we engage the vital skills of communicating through crisis, empathy, perspective taking and self awareness just to mention a few? In 2011, the workplace continues to hold higher and higher expectations for us all. The necessity to manage countless stressors while also producing, leading, collaborating and resolve conflicts have become the competencies of that rank up there with knowing how to turn on your computer. The many facets of emotional intelligence can take us on a journey of meaningful relationships, job satisfaction, exciting creativity and improve our organizational output. Join us as we explore the tools and techniques that can boost your EQ and cultivate your workplace experiences.

Join us as we talk with Sheri Callahan, the owner of Horizon Consulting Group, based in Columbia SC. Sheri has over 16 years in HR consulting, training, and keynote speaking specializing in employee development and group dynamics. Her education is Bachelor’s in Speech Communication and a Master’s in Human Behavior and Conflict Management. Sheri is also a certified workplace mediator, facilitator of various 360 assessments and past president of the SC State Chapter of the Association for Conflict Resolution. Lastly, Sheri services clients across industry lines in the US and abroad.

Welcome back to Part 2 – Emotional Intelligence – A Path to Building EI Competency with Sheri Callahan. Last week, we introduced the importance of emotional intelligence and the need to raise self-awareness and build a critical skill set. We will identify emotional intelligence competencies and focus on tools, strategies and resources for you to build upon.